Copywriting: A Glance In the Rearview

WHY IS it so interesting to trace the history of things? Is because it gives our time more meaning? A sense of place? Of progress? Probably all of those and many more, which is why, for example, it’s great to see pictures of ourselves through the ages, of a self that no longer exists, but which has evolved into who we are now. On a shorter time-scale, we are not the same person we were yesterday even, but reminiscing is a powerful thing. Let’s take a trip down Copywrite Lane…

In terms of communication, of marketing, it’s similarly interesting to go through the past of copywriting and advertisements. They tell us a lot about the progress of technology, science, and especially societal norms, of what was tolerated and what no longer is, and what wasn’t but is now; from cocaine elixirs, doctors endorsing cigarettes, blatant racism, to sexism and sex.

Look at all that text! Inconceivable in today’s adverts, BUT crucially a very powerful piece of copy in the line of, if Charles Atlas can do it, so can you.

Words are free, and potentially exceptionally powerful. Yet we learn the classic playground saying of ‘stick and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me’ young. Too young to realise it’s all three. Often those words form the most brutal of attacks, ones that can linger and be carried for all our days while a cut or bruise are impermanent. The press is so powerful because they tell us what words they want us to see/hear. And there’s a reason many countries have strict press regulation – usually for the worse.
Words change the course of history. On a micro level they influence your life. On a macro level, they can change societies for good or bad. Sometimes, it’s very easy to forget that. And in advertising, that is never forgotten, because the right combination of words, perhaps accompanied by images, can sell, while poor copy won’t.

An incredulous advert now. Kids CAN play with guns, and it’s safe to have one in the home – no! – you NEED one in your home.

Moving with the changes, copywriting has become a different animal. Once existing only in print, then radio, to TV and the web, it’s had to respond to new media types, divergent consumption, as well as a world that’s (I imagine) unrecognisable from even decades ago let alone the 1800s.

When women ‘belonged’ in the kitchen, a common theme from this era, where sexism was, in hindsight, laughable in that it wasn’t even subtle.

Classic copywriting had a catchy strapline, with additional text. There’s something quaint about them now. They are effective and I think deserve a comeback. People operate on a far more visual level than ever before. Reading a paragraph on why an Aga cooker is the best is almost laughable as a concept unless in a review. But words haven’t lost their power, we’re simply drowning in an electric nicotine storm, an onslaught, thanks especially to mobiles in every pocket.

Athletes endorsing cigarettes? Surely not? And then came the surgeon general and medical professionals who gave people the OK to smoke.

A classic. One of the most successful ad campaigns ever. Be a man, get cancer from our cigarettes.

We often think of ourselves as adnostic, that we aren’t influenced to buy X over Y, but somewhere in that brain choices are being made whether we know about them or not.

For something more modern… And sometimes no words are needed. Visual, clever and very effective.

20 thoughts on “Copywriting: A Glance In the Rearview”

Ever watched Mad Men? There’s a good example of how the business has evolved. Being a copywriter for the past ten years, I often smile thinking how my job is nothing like those 50’s careers. I’m definitely thankful not to live in that sexist era, but I do wish there was still that appreciation of words, instead of what this job has turned into. “Brief! Keep it brief!” “Nobody wants to read…” (RME)

As a copywriter, I found this very amusing, especially since I actually love finding the origin of words and sayings. This also made me think of Mad Men. Wordings have changed, but the intention hasn’t.

Glad you enjoyed it.
I’m always fascinated by word origins too and how sayings that have no relevance in todays world have circulated and still abide like ‘an axe to grind’.
And that’s cool I’m looking to get into copywriting myself in the near future.

To trace the history of something is a fundamental way to understand things. On a personal level, we wonder how we got to where we are. On large scale we study the history of the earth, all 4 and a half billion years of evolution, not to mention the evolution of our cosmos.